Not all cancers are treatable by proton beam (particle beam). From our past experience at treatment facilities, we know that proton beam is sometimes not suited, dependent upon in which organ of the body the cancer has manifested.
Today, cancers for which proton therapy is presumably suited are primary cancers including cancers of the head and neck (including rhinal, sinal, glandular, and basicranial cancer), lung, liver, prostate, and bladder, and pelvis recurrence after rectal cancer surgery and solitary metastatic tumor (liver metastasis, lung metastasis).

* In addition to tumor site, size, cancer stage, and physical condition will restrict whether one will actually receive this therapy. For more details, please see “Cancers treated at our center” below.

Cancers treated at our center (examples) 　　　　

Organs	Diagnosis	Stage（UICC)	Total dose	Fractions(frs)/period
Prostate	Prostate cancer	cT1-4N0M0	74-78 GyE	37-39frs/7.4-8weeks
Ear and nose cancer including nose, face, throat	Head and neck tumor	cT1-4N0M0 recurrences	60-70GyE 30-40GyE	30-35frs/6-7weeks 18-20 frs./ 4-5 weeks
Pelvis	Pelvic reoccurrence after rectal cancer	Localized pelvic tumor	60-70GyE	30-35frs/6-7weeks
Brain	Malignant tumor of the brain		60-70GyE	30-35frs/6-7weeks
Bladder	Bladder cancer	cT2-4N0M0	60-70GyE	30-35frs/6-7weeks
Lung, liver, bone, soft tissue, lymph node	Metastatic tumor (solitary tumor)	Localized tumor	60-70GyE	30-35frs/6-7weeks
Lung	Non-small cell lung cancer	cT1-4N0M0	60GyE 80GyE	10 frs./ 2 weeks 20 frs./ 4 weeks
Liver	Hepatic cell cancer	Unoperable surgery instance	60GyE 76GyE	10 frs./ 2 weeks 20 frs./ 4 weeks
Esophagus	Esophagus cancer	cT1-3N0M0	60-70GyE	30-35frs/6-7weeks

At other proton beam (particle beam) therapy centers in Japan, proton therapy is performed experimentally on cancer of other organs, including uterus, kidneys, and pancreas, and the effectiveness of this therapy is growing.

Cancer that is not treatable with proton beam is represented by cancers of the digestive tracts, including stomach and large intestine. Membranes of the stomach and intestines can form ulcers easily from radiation, and are generally not subjected to proton therapy.
There is risk of ulcers on membranes too when the tumor is in contact or near the stomach or intestines, and this may make proton therapy difficult.

The effect of proton therapy is limited to the irradiated areas. When the tumor size is over 12cm, therapy becomes technically difficult. When the tumor is smaller than this size, and when the tumor has not spread to an area outside of the area upon which proton therapy will be performed, full effect of the therapy can be expected.

When the lesion from which cancer originated (primary lesion) has spread multiply to other organs (including lung, liver, bone, and brain), it is difficult to recuperate fully by proton therapy. Furthermore, full effect of the treatment cannot be expected too when cancer has spread to multiple lymph nodes. (However, if it is a head or neck cancer, when all lymph nodes to which cancer spread are removed by surgery, proton therapy can be performed on the primary lesion.)

SECOND OPINION

Indication of proton therapy requires a physician’s decision from a medical examination based upon materials including supplied medical examination information and images. Our center also offers outpatient second opinion consultation for cancer and indication for proton therapy.